…in pursuit of the ultimate purpose of life…

India

Time and again have discussions been done on what shapes a good business idea.

Today’s era is the era of start-ups, of young minds breaking the conventional barriers and bringing about a change in the society. People have started to choose independence of work over futile jobs pouring fixed income into their pockets. People have started to realise the potential of technology in bringing a massive level change to all lives. The day is not far when each person will be connected to every other person over a network and be able to communicate in a seamless fashion.

So its important that we understand the difference between a good business idea and a bad business idea, or simply, what makes a business idea good or bad.

In my understanding, the very prediction of a business idea being a success or a failure cannot boil down to a mere consideration of three or four factors like income yield, level of public interest, potential of resources, etc.

Lets look at the below three business scenarios.

Case 1

There is a village named Kolgaon. Around 55-65% population there is youth in the age group of 20-25. 60% of the youth have not had the opportunity to enroll in a graduate program. Kolgaon lacks in providing basic education amenities. The rise in unemployment rate can be foreseen in the village of Kolgaon. What kind of business model would sustain in a place like Kolgaon?

Case 2

There is a town named Shagampur, where primary industrial activities revolve around thermal electricity generation (coal-based), and which is the main income source of major proportion of the residents. There is no IT hub in the area, not there is proper network infrastructure. There are educational institutions but almost none that offers graduation level courses. What kind of business model suits a place like Shagampur?

Case 3

Arankot is a bustling city which has drawn IT crowd in the last 5 years. The city is growing at an unprecedented pace. Real Estate is booming. Many villagers have become rich, owing to the influx of money from multinationals. However, money influx is not uniform over the geographic area of Arankot. 40% of Arankot suffers from water scarcity during summer. Rich are becoming richer. Living cost is increasing at some portions of the city while it is nominal at others. What kind of business model can bring about a balance in a city like Arankot?

Defining a business model requires brainstorming, and a lot of it! One cannot simply create a product/service and roll out in the market. Market study is crucial. Getting to know the wants/needs of customer. Identifying the gaps in the society. These are some of the aspects which need to be considered.

Like this:

The ceaseless war, within and far
Neither Gaza nor India stand a blame,
The animus I foster inside of me,
The love consumed by infernal flame…
The pillage in a battle, my friend, you see
Neither a territory nor a state,
The confines of your mind decide your fate,
The loathing of man for man, the acts of hate.
An act of love, like a tick of clock
Must what be a man’s need,
The shrouds of fear need be burnt,
The abatement of man’s greed.

Like this:

One among the nominated for the Man Booker Prize 2013, although bearing the brunt of hard luck when it came to winning the prize, yet it portrays beautifully the post-colonial India of the 1960s when the then Calcutta was incinerating in the flames of the Naxalite movement.

The story is of two brothers Subhash and Udayan bound together since childhood by the string of love, but which starts to strain when Udayan, the younger one, jumps into the Naxalite movement and abets fellow naxalites in what turns out to be the destiny-shaper for the two brothers. The elder one, Subhash, goes to US to pursue higher studies, leaving his brother and parents amidst the grim circumstances that spring up in Calcutta. The story is of a woman’s fight with oneself to discover her dreams and her very shades of demeanor that till then remained under the veil of an oblivious existence. The story puts the flow of intense emotions into the veins of the reader.

In a nutshell, its a 4-starrer for me. A lover of English literature should definitely give the novel a place in his book-shelf 🙂

VICEDOMINI OF THE WUP New Name, New Location! Welcome to our poetry corner, The Poets’ Corner NEW SITE! The name has been changed to (our) because it belongs to all of us who post! Sincerely hope you find the change easy and exciting to be here! Please feel free to post and comment your thoughts so we all can enjoy!